Construction of roadways and the like



Sept. 9, 1930. L. GAISMAN 1,775,278

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS AND THE LIKE Filed July 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet2 @4. d! ffy-5- 7 El 'df/LD- j@ Z j@ 6.

Sept. 9, 1930. L. GAISMAN 1,775,278

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS AND THE LIKE Patented Sept. 9, 193() LUCIENGAISll/IAN, yOF AUDNSHW, NEAR MANCHESTER, ENGLAND CONSTRUCTION oreneanwerfs ann THE LIKE Application led July 16, 1928, Serial No. 92,93S,and in Great Britain September 22, 192?.

This invention refers to roadways of the kind comprising a resilientsurface applied to and supported by a relatively hard surface, usuallyin the form of blocks, the upper surfaces of which are in part formed ofrubber or rubber composition.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved roadway ofthe kind named giving an improved non-skid and comparatively noiselesssurface, while a further object is `to provide a construction of blockembodying in its top face the two materials'V for producing the improvedroadway in a manner such as to prevent relative 1'5 displacement of suchmaterials in all directions.

According tothe invention, 4the improved roadway comprises parallel andcontinuous (or substantially continuous) lines or '20 strips' of rubberor the like, and alternate continuous lines or strips' of hard roadmaterial, the lines running parallel with the normal direction oftra-velof the tratlic and being spaced apart and of such a width that thewheels of most vehicles are supported partly on therubber,andv partly onthe hardv material; kbut never on the hard material only. v

Paving blocks suitable for producing the .30 mainv parts of' theimproved roadway are preferably made with two parallel grooves in theirtop faces, and in suchgrooves strips j of rubber or-the like aremouldedfthe top surface of the rubber lying flush with the top 05surface of rthe block material, or being slightly proud of. same'. Thesize of the blocks and spacing of the rubber strips will besuch as toallow the rubber strips when the blocks 4are laid in staggeredrelationship, or otherwise,-to form a continuation of the stripsoftheAnext succeeding and preceding blocks. n

For-completing the roadway next a kerb, gutter, etc., the blocks arehalf-width and have oneY groove only. Alternatively, the whole roadwaymay be made of the halfwidthblo'c-ks with a single groove in which case`the blocks are laid end -to end and in other than staggeredrelationship.

The lformation of'. each `groove and/or of the block immediately belowthe groove is such as to alford a irm anchorage of the rubber to theblock in all directions and especially in the direction of trahie, thepreferred arrangement consisting of dovetail shaped re cesses in thefloor of each groove, which latter may also be of dovetail crosssection, or which may be of rectangular cross section with lateralnotches in the ver-tical sides of the groove. The floor of each grooveor recessl may also have small sinkings.

The rubber may be of two degrees of hardness, giving a relativelyresilient upper surface or tread, and a relatively hard (unyielding)base to ensure t'lrm connection and keying to the block.

The invention will be further described in reference vto theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of part of a road surface constructedaccording to the invention, and showing the continuous lines of rubberand the alternate continuous lines7 of hard road material.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the paving blocks used in formingthe road surface shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a like view of the same block but without the rubber strips.

Fig. fl is a longitudinal geometrical section on line mm of a like blockto that shown in F 2.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view.

Fig. G is a side view, and

Fig. 7 an end view of one of the rubber strips separate from the block.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a part of a modilied torni of block.

Fig. 9 is a plan view, and

Fig. l0 an end view of another example of the improved paving blocks.

Fig. ll is a plan of the same block prior to being fitted with therubber strips.

Fig. l2 is an end elevation of the upper parts of two blocks laid sideby side.

Fig. 13 is a cross section of Fig. 2 on line .f/-r

Fig. 14 is a plan view of an alternative way of laying the blocks shownin Figs. 2 and 3.

plastic, or semi-plastic state, and preferably by the machine formingthe subject of Letters Patent No. 1,629,660 dated 24th May 1927. In thecase of metal blocks, the recesses will be formed in the casting ormoulding of the metal.

Although preferring circular and segmental recesses in the floor of eachgroove for anchoring the rubber to the block, it will be under-stoodthat other forms of dovetail or undercut recesses may be employed,although these will usually only be used when the block is moulded on tothe already-formed rubber strips.

At cross roads, the blocks may have grooves running at right angles toone another` see Fig. 16, and at other than cro-ss roads such as rightangled, or curved bends, the blocks and grooves may be curved, in orderthat the rubber strips may follow the line of traffic at such bends. Y

If desired, there may be more than two grooves and rubber strips in eachblock, the number depending on the width and spacing of the rubber linesand/or size block. Fig.

l2 shows the usual spacing and width of rubber and block material, butthe width of the strips of rubber and of the alternate block materialmay be varied to suit the wheels of the vehicles mostly to be expectedin any particular locality.

The floor of each groove c may be flat (horizontal), or it may be convexor concave longitudinally, or corrugated transversely, in order tofurther help in resisting the endwise disturbance of the rubber. Thetread surface of the block and of the rubber (or both) may be flat andsmooth, or they may be ribbed or studded, or have a pattern to increasethe nonslip properties.

With a roadway paved with the improved blocks, and with the rubberstrips arranged in continuous lines a kroad surface is produced in whichcontinuous lines of rubber and alternate continuous lines7 of hard blockmaterial are provided with which the wheels of vehicles can eachsimultaneously and continuously engage and thus benefit by theproperties of both. With the rubber anchored to the blocks toresistmovement in all directions, the lines of rubber have no tendency tocreep or become dislodged when heavy traffic is passing over them. Andwith the rubber of hard wearing quality, it serves toprotect the blockmaterial (say terra cotta or concrete) from excessive wear, and by itsresistance the rubber will usually take the bulk of the load, and willtend to equalize the wear of the two materials, whilst always giving apractically noiseless and non-skid surface.

In addition to affording a combination of different wearing andsupporting surfaces, the improved block, as compared with a block oflike size with its top surface Wholly covered by rubber, effects aconsiderable saving in cost.

l/'Vhat I claim is:

l. A roadway 0r the like for vehicular traffic, the surface of which iscomposed partly of hard road material and partly of rubber, the rubberbeing embedded and anchored against relative movement in alldirection-s, in the hard road material, the hard road material havingundercut grooves extending longitudinally of the roadway and parallel toone another, and said grooves in their bottom faces having undercutrecesses for the reception ofthe rubber, which completely fills thegrooves and recesses, the hard road material and the rubber formingalternate parallel strips of hard and elastic material which extendsover substantially the whole area of the roadway and present an elastic,non-skid and noiseless surface in strip form, inter-mixed with a surfaceof hard road material in strip form` the width of the strips being suchthat vehicle wheels not less than three inches wide will always runpartly on the rubber and partly on the hard road material, as set forth.

2. A roadway orthe like for vehicular traffic, the surface of which iscomposedof paving blocks of hard wearing, heat-resisting yet mouldablematerial, and strips of rubber lying in undercut open-ended grooves inthe upper faces of said blocks, each groove having undercut recesses inits bottom face and the rubber completely filling the grooves andrecesses so that it is anchored relatively to each block in alldirections, the blocks being laid side by side and collectivelyproducing a road surface composed of alternate longitudinal strips ofrubber and block material, which extends over substantially the wholearea of the roadway and presents a combined elastic, non-skid andnoiseless surface in strip form, intermixed with a surface of hard blockmaterial in strip form, the width of the strips being such that vehiclewheels not less than three inches wide will always run partly on therubber and partly on the hard block material, as set forth.

3. A roadway or the like for vehicular traffic, the surface of which iscomposed of paving blocks of hard wearing, heat-resisting yet mouldablematerial, and strips of rubber lying in undercut open-ended grooves inthe upper faces of said blocks, each groove having undercut recesses inits bottom face and the rubber completely filling the grooves andrecesses so that it is anchored relatively to each block in alldirections, the blocks being laid side by side and collectivelyproducing a road surface composed of alternate longitudinal strips ofrubber and block material, which extends over substantially the wholearea of the roadway and presents a combined elastic non-skid andnoiseless surface in strip form,

intern'iix'ed with a surface of hard block niaterial in strip i'erin, asset forth. c y

4. Paving blocks ior roadways andthe like y as claimed inv claim 2,wherein each groove has at each end in its bottoni face an undercutrecess which is more than half a circle and less than a full crcle inpla-n and opens on to the adj acent end face or' the block, and eachgroove also having a vfurther undercut recess in its bottoni face at apoiiitinterniediate of the ends ot the groove, which further recess iscircular in plan, as set forth.

5.' ljaving blocks composed of a hard wearing, heat-resistingfyetinouldable material having,` inlaid rubber strips in their top facesanchored in all directions, assembled in staggered relationship one toanother to forni a roadway, and to provide parallel and narrow trips efblock material, and alternate pui allel and na-rroa7 strips of rubber,the strips running` longitudinally of the roadway and lying at distancesapart which divide the road surface into a multiplicity of non-skid. andnoiseless lines, alternating with similar gf, lines of' block material,as set forth.

6. Paving blocks as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rubber strips arelocated in openended grooves'having vertical. `faces and verticalnotches in said faces, and wherein each no groove has undercut recessesin its bottoni face, which are engagedv by like projections on theunderiiaces ofthe rubber strips, the recesses, grooves and notchespreventing movenient of the rubber relatively to the bloclr in 3;, alldirections, as set forth. v

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specilication.

Lucien eAisMAN.

